


I think I'm starting to like you

by softgrungeprophet



Series: Peachy [1]
Category: Venom (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Awkward Flirting, Awkwardness, Blushing, Flirting, Food, Groping, Innuendo, Jealousy, Kissing, M/M, Neck Kissing, Nervousness, No Sex, Other, Pre-Relationship, Teasing, Touching
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-26
Updated: 2019-01-27
Packaged: 2019-10-16 10:53:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17548313
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softgrungeprophet/pseuds/softgrungeprophet
Summary: Eddie and Flash get closer.(Set right after the end of Venom Inc. Omega, after Venom's convo with the Black Cat.)





	1. May I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eddie and Flash have a celebratory meal together.  
> (Eddie POV)

Venom caught sight of their quarry—standing on the street corner, the white of synthetic Anti-Venom having receded—giving his protégé one last hug and a slap on the back.

As the girl's cab pulled away, they landed in the snow with almost no sound. But of course Flash Thompson turned anyway, even before their feet hit the ground. No doubt some trace of Venom pinging in him, maybe even the Anti-Venom itself. He tilted his head, half-amused, half... something unplaceable. Something thoughtful.

"I hope you didn't come to say goodbye." Flash grinned. "'Cause, just between the three of us, I plan on sticking around for a little while."

The symbiote pulled back enough to reveal Eddie's face, slimming its fit to his body so he looked less like a mismatched action figure and more like a human being. He crossed his arms—still _their_ arms, really.

"Is that so?"

"Yup." Flash planted his hands on his hips, shifting his weight slightly as he said, "Keep an eye on you, just like you did to me. Right?" Still smiling, incessantly cheerful.

"Right." Eddie couldn't keep himself from his own sharp smirk, though if he were honest with himself, little about those days held a positive light in his mind. "Well—" He nodded toward a building across the street—a hole-in-the-wall Thai place, with a sign proclaiming its variety of drink options (Fruit Juice! Smoothie! Milk tea!) "If you're going to stick around, might I suggest a celebratory meal?"

Flash raised his eyebrows, and if anything his grin widened. "Might you?" He reached out and steadied himself with a hand on Eddie's shoulder as he stepped off the curb. "You _may_ , but I'm buying."

Eddie hummed.

"Fine."

He let himself be coaxed into the street as well—Flash gripped his arm, muttering something about ice and legs and not wanting to fall on his ass. Eddie wondered why he didn't just use the Anti-Venom, but... it wasn't worth asking. He let Flash use him to balance, though he offered no other support, and pretended not to notice the black tendrils twining from his own shoulder to reach across Flash's hand and up his forearm as they made their way to the other side of the street.

Okay, maybe he was a little bit jealous.

Eddie tried not to show it, as his other helped Flash up onto the icy sidewalk.

 **He's cold, Eddie. Warming him up**.

Eddie snorted, as he pushed open the door to the Thai restaurant. The bell jingled, and he let Flash in first. "If he's so cold, he should wear a coat."

Simultaneously, his other _tsk-_ ed in his head, and Flash shot a narrowed glance over his shoulder.

But he didn't say anything, so neither did Eddie.

"Take a seat wherever you like. I'll be right with you."

They sat in the corner beside the window, Flash with his back to the door but Eddie loathe to leave himself open even in a supposedly safe environment. The place was almost deserted, with only one other diner. Near the kitchen, a child sat on a booster seat coloring with crayons while her mother worked.

The symbiote purred in Eddie's throat as he pored over the menu.

 **We want chicken**.

"What's your budget?" He ignored his other's request, for the time being.

Flash glanced up from his own menu, frowning slightly. "Huh?"

**Eddie...**

"You said you're paying. _How_ _much_ are you willing to _spend_ on me?" Eddie spoke with great emphasis, perhaps a little unkindly, all things considered. But his conflicting frustration and gratitude left him feeling... tetchy.

"O-oh. I dunno like, twenty bucks, max?" Flash scratched the back of his head. "I know that's not like, a ton, but—"

**Chicken comes with peanuts. We like peanuts.**

"No. It's fine." More than fine. Probably more than Eddie had in his bank account at that very moment.

The symbiote curled around Eddie's hand and solidified into a few rings, cool and polished.

He and Flash lapsed into an uncomfortable silence, pointedly not looking at each other.

A few long minutes passed...

"Are you ready to order?"

Oh, thank God.

"Uhh, yeah," Flash leaned back in his chair, shooting her a friendly smile. "Can I get the pad thai and some plain coffee?"

She noted it down with a nod, and turned to Eddie. "And you?"

**Chicken!**

"Seafood curry,"

**Eddie, why.**

"And the chicken satay with extra peanut sauce."

Grateful satisfaction suffused through his head as he flipped to the back of the menu, briefly.

He wasn't paying, so... might as well. "And a Thai iced tea, if it's no trouble." Polite, concise. "Thank you."

**Thank you, Eddie...**

"Of course."

She left with their menus, and once again... Silence settled. The thick aura of near-total strangers sitting alone together in a too-quiet restaurant, realizing they have absolutely nothing to talk about.

Flash cleared his throat. "So, uh." He shrugged his posture a little straighter, drawing his shoulders back. "Isn't it kinda cold for iced tea?"

"Thai iced tea." Eddie clasped his hands on the tabletop, leaning forward slightly. "Is always in season."

His other rumbled in agreement through his bones, though Flash wouldn't have been able to tell.

Flash raised his eyebrows, and again—he smiled, like he wanted to laugh but not in a mean-spirited way. Just as though he found everything a little bit amusing, a little bit surprising. "Yeah? Always? Even in the snow?"

"Always."

"Well," Flash crossed his arms behind his head. "Maybe you should let me try some when she brings it out."

Eddie snorted. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"I—Yeah? Yes?" Flash made a face. "Are we still talking about the same thing, here?"

**Eddie... Don't confuse him. He is easily confused.**

He ran a thumb over one of the rings on his fingers with a smirk.

 _I hadn't noticed_.

 **Eddie**.

"Relax, love..." Eddie brought his hand to his mouth, to kiss the rings. They sank away from his fingers and into the skin around his lips, back into his bloodstream.

Flash watched them, an inscrutable expression on his face.

A little hard edged, but overall soft.

Homesick, maybe. Or whatever equivalent could be applied to an ex-partner.

A tendril snuck out from Eddie's other hand, inching its way half-camouflaged against the glass surface of the table, matching the cloth pressed underneath. It twirled out from the edge of the table, a shimmering black thread to catch Flash's eye. And catch his eye it did—he stared for a moment, very still, before reaching out. Eddie felt the contact through his bond with the symbiote. A strange sensation, disconnected. Every fine hair and crease on his skin came through clearly for just a second, until his other shut it down to prevent Eddie's brain from becoming overloaded by sensory data.

He watched _them_ , now. Watched Flash. Watched the way the symbiote's tendril poked playfully at Flash's palm before looping around his wrist and fingers. A greeting.

And then the server appeared with their drinks.

The symbiote didn't retract or return. It just tightened around Flash's hand, and let its flesh become completely indistinguishable from its surroundings.

"Thank you." Eddie couldn't quite keep his jaw from tightening, even as he gave the server a polite smile.

His other obviously picked up on it.

 **Please don't be angry, Eddie..**.

He was being unreasonable, he knew this. Still...

Flash Thompson was smooth-faced and easygoing. A hero. Had taken the symbiote to places Eddie never would have dreamed of, had helped it through its corruption in a way Eddie never had. No, he'd been a dead weight instead. Just as worthless as he'd been told.

 ** _Eddie_**.

The unexpected sharpness of the essence of his name hit him with a jolt.

 **The things I said were _wrong_. You are not worthless and I am not that creature anymore**.

Finally, it pulled away from Flash, focusing all of its attention on Eddie, sinking into him, wrapping its way up his arms, still invisible to the human eye.

"Hey, uh..."

Eddie looked up at Flash—he wasn't smiling, anymore. Uncomfortable, with one hand resting on the back of his neck, not quite looking at Eddie.

"I wanted to... apologize." Flash looked down at his lap, gnawing on his lip. After a moment, he met Eddie's eyes. "I was kind of a dick, earlier—to you and to... him."

"Him?" Eddie pulled his drink closer, stirring it slightly as he eyed Flash.

Flash shrugged. "Venom. It. They. I dunno. I just... wanted to say sorry. I should know better than anyone else, what it's like." He let out a soft breath. "I guess I just wasn't thinking clearly."

Eddie did not deign to answer, sipping at his Thai iced tea instead.

Flash rubbed his forehead with a sigh.

 **Eddie, tell him it's okay**.

_Why?_

**Because it would make me happy**.

That hurt, a little.

But Eddie was being unfair.

And he wanted his other to be happy.

"You... are right to apologize." Eddie ignored the symbiote's disgruntled whine—"We forgive you."

Pleased, then.

Flash let out a soft huff of relief. "Thanks."

He hadn't drunk any of his coffee yet, just poked at it. Half lost in thought, now, long eyelashes catching the light from the streetlamp outside as he looked down at the cup. The tension seemed to have bled out of him, leaving him relaxed—relaxed, across from _Eddie Brock_ , of all people. Who'd tried to kill him more than once, who by all rights should have been his nemesis. But there he was, calm, quiet, not even looking at Eddie anymore. Completely at ease, as if all he needed was an apology accepted and the knowledge that his friend was safe.

" ** _You really are something, Flash Thompson._** " Both of them speaking, with just the slightest sizzle to Eddie's tone to make that clear.

Flash looked up, a brief flit of confusion across his face, then overtaken by a sheer blush.

Of course the server chose that moment to bring their food. Not that Eddie truly resented her for it, in fact he found himself grateful for the distraction.

They ate in silence.

Halfway through his iced tea, Eddie remembered what Flash had said earlier. He considered it for a moment—why not. He slid his glass across the table, until it bumped into Flash's unoccupied hand. Flash looked up with his mouth full, eyes a little wide from the unexpected gesture. He tilted his head with a questioning noise.

"You said you wanted to try it."

Recognition. "Mm." He made a face. "Mm-hm."

Eddie laughed. He couldn't help himself. The guileless way this man carried himself so completely disarmed him. He was such an open book.

**You see why I like him?**

"Yeah, I see."

Flash narrowed his eyes at Eddie, and once his mouth was no longer full he said, "You sure you want my cooties?"

" _Cooties_?" Eddie snorted. "What are you, twelve? I don't care. You could have the plague and it wouldn't matter. My other can take care of me." He raised an eyebrow, as the symbiote preened smugly inside of him. "If anyone should be worried about cooties, it's you."

"...Fair." Flash leaned over for a sip, immediately pulled a face, and said, "Oh wow, that's sweet." He took another sip, though. Much more substantial. Less of a sip, more like an entire mouthful.

"Hey, hey." Eddie pulled the glass away from him. "Don't drink it all."

Flash pouted. Honest to God, _pouted_. "I'm paying for it."

"Hm." Eddie crossed his arms and leveled a hard stare on him. He got puppy dog eyes back. Sighed, and grumbled, "Fine."

He got another of those sunny smiles from Flash—one more and he might start actually _liking_ the guy.

 ** _Start_ liking him? Eddie...** 

The implication there... Eddie rolled his eyes and focused his attention on his curry, rather than attempt to confront his other about tolerating Flash Thompson's presence. _Tolerating_. Not enjoying. Because he was... the antithesis to Eddie, right? Bright and stubborn and—

 **You are just as stubborn**.

To rebut that would only prove his other right... But to not deny it did the same thing.

 _We're nothing alike_.

 **Whatever you say, Eddie**.

The rest of the meal passed much more comfortably. A little awkward at times, sure, but even the lapses into silence felt much more companionable. Much less strained. And when they left the restaurant (not a leftover in sight between the three of them), when Flash took Eddie's arm again, Eddie found himself much more receptive to his touch. Not just a begrudging support, but willing to outstretch his arm a little bit—to let his hand brush lightly against Flash's side in case he stumbled.

Flash watched the ground as they walked, quiet.

The symbiote seeped out from Eddie's jacket to twine around Flash's hand, again, and this time Eddie didn't mind so much.

They walked aimlessly for a short while, but... Eventually Flash started to shiver, visibly, as fresh snow drifted down from the darkness above. He inched a little closer to Eddie, and Eddie let his arm wrap fully around his waist—

He stopped them in the middle of the sidewalk. Pulled Flash against his side very firmly, and muttered, "Where are you staying tonight?"

Face flushed from the cold, Flash shrugged. "I didn't plan that far ahead." His hand drifted up from Eddie's shoulder to the back of his neck—icy fingers drawing goosebumps up Eddie's skin.

"I don't have room for you to stay."

Flash let out a quiet laugh. "Don't worry about it. I can get a hotel room." Something in the way he tilted his head as he smiled, the way he lowered his lashes, the way his fingers tickled the back of Eddie's neck...

 _Darling, you never told me he was such a tease_.

 **Never came up**.

Eddie tightened his grip on Flash's hip. "You sure you want to be all by your lonesome?"

"Hm..." Flash bit his lip, covering Eddie's hand with his own, over his hip. "...Are you hitting on me?"

"Do you _want_ me to be?" Eddie drew Flash back under the shadow of an awning, out of the falling snow—wrapped his arms around Flash's waist and pulled them flush together.

"Well..." Flash looped his arms around Eddie's shoulders. "I _do_ like a man who... who, uh—" The red on his cheeks seemed to deepen, not just the cold making him blush. He ducked his head, suddenly, against Eddie's shoulder. "Shit, I—" He laughed, suddenly tense. "I've never—" He sighed. "Sorry."

" ** _No_**..." The symbiote darkened Eddie's voice, as it poured forth from his skin, thinned his jacket, and reached around Flash. It covered his goosebump-dotted arms, and caressed its way down his back and up his neck—but Eddie knew it wasn't leaving him. Felt their bond hold strong as they held Flash next to a closed pawn shop. " ** _No more apologies._** "

He looked up at them, at their half-covered, half-transformed face. A little lost, for just a moment, but then smiling again—eyes bright even in the darkness.

Eddie and the symbiote kissed him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee, this is moving a little fast, dontcha think??  
> Sidenote I think... Andi probably has Mania but Mania is weak which is why they're taking a cab home.


	2. You may.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Flash and Eddie get a little frisky.  
> (Flash POV)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little more... risqué. 😏 But don't expect anything substantial.
> 
> There's a very brief hitch because of Flash's name.  
> And some anxiety/nervousness centering around Flash's inexperience with men--not that he's like "oh no i'm gay" but instead, "oh no i have no idea what i'm doing."
> 
>  
> 
> This ended up like, WAY sappier than i intended....  
> from jealousy to romance Real Fast.

Flash knew he was good at emotional disarmament. He knew the effect his smile had on people—which was why he used it so liberally. His charm had saved his own ass countless times. And yet, he still surprised himself sometimes, at just how well he managed to get people on his side. Or, in some cases, how well he managed to get people feeling some kind of emotion other than amused irritation.

Case in point: Eddie Brock.

Maybe their shared friend had a little something to do with that, oozing around Eddie's bared forearms as he stood looking out the window of Flash's freshly paid-for hotel room. Or maybe he was a nicer guy than he pretended to be.

Flash leaned against the wall.

He didn't know what to do.

It was easy to flirt, but he hadn't gone into this with a _plan_. He never went into _anything_ with a plan. And his experience with men was... well, nonexistent.

Admitting to himself that maybe he was a little bit gay—that was completely different from _acting_ on it. Fantasies were different from actually _flirting_ with men, from approaching men with sexual or romantic intent (or both). Logically, the best approach was to act like he did with women, but so much of that was rooted in overcompensation and the idea that he was _supposed_ to act a certain way around women, in opposition to the way he was _supposed_ to act (or not act) around men... so...

So, he didn't know what to do.

"Uh..." He pushed away from the wall, awkward as anything. Rubbed at his shoulder when Eddie turned to look at him. "So, uh, come here often?" Smile, casual lean against the TV stand. Pretending to be much more confident than he felt.

Eddie furrowed his brow. "...What?"

Hm, yeah. Maybe not the best choice of pickup line, unless he wanted to imply Eddie spent a lot of time in other people's hotel rooms. Not that there was anything _wrong_ with that (not unless Flash wanted to be a hypocrite), but...

"Sorry, I uh." Flash straightened up, looking anywhere but the burly man in front of him. "This is new, for me." He stood with his hands on his hips, staring down at the garish carpet, heat creeping up the back of his neck.

Eddie hummed in response, though he said nothing. It sounded like Venom might have been involved, too, but Flash couldn't quite bring himself to look up, even when Eddie's feet entered his peripheral vision. But—Eddie caught Flash's chin with his hand, tilting his head up. He had that _smirk_ ; that smug, self-satisfied smile of his, back straight.

A little bit of black inched up his neck but most of it stayed laced across his bicep, smooth and a little glossy.

"You're pretty when you blush."

And of course that made Flash blush even _more_ , warm all over. "I—" Any other compliment and he might have been able to retort with a joke, but... _pretty_? He couldn’t formulate a coherent sentence, suddenly. He just wanted to stand there and repeat it over and over in his head.

 _You're pretty_.

Did Venom tell Eddie? No, Venom didn't know. Flash had kept that hidden. That he liked being pretty. Being _told_ he was pretty.

"You..." Flash stepped a little closer. "Maybe it's _you_ who's pretty."

Nope. Fumbled it, with the juvenile _I know you are but what am I_ reversal.

Eddie let out a quiet laugh. "You're losing it, Thompson."

Flash moved in to kiss him—a little too fast, a little too awkward, with his hands on Eddie's shoulders, with his eyes squeezed shut—he almost missed his target, at first, bumping his mouth clumsily against Eddie's chin, but... Eddie course-corrected for him, and he relaxed slightly. Relaxed his grip on Eddie's shirt, smoothing his hands up and over his shoulders. Relaxed his face, let his eyes open slightly... and his mouth, too.

Eddie was not a particularly stunning kisser, tongue or otherwise, but he wasn't bad either, and he was warm,  and his hands settled over Flash's wrists in a very appealing way.

Flash pulled away, just a tiny bit. Breathless. "You have... pretty big hands, huh."

"Mm-hm." Eddie raised his eyebrows, a little glint in the back of his eyes that was either amusement or Venom. "You know what they say about big hands?"

Oh, jeez. "Oh, I—" Flash thought if he got any hotter under the collar he might melt. "Yeah?"

Eddie laughed. "Relax." He brought his hands up to Flash's face again, and ran his thumbs along Flash's cheekbones surprisingly gently. There was that stupid smirk again. He leaned closer—didn't kiss Flash. Instead, put his mouth right up beside Flash's ear, breath warm, and muttered, "Unless..."

"...unless what?" Flash licked his lips, suddenly so dry.

"Unless," Eddie kissed the side of his jaw. His cheek. "Don't tell me Flash Thompson is a size queen."

Flash made a face. "Oh—" Was he? "I don't... I don't know."

Eddie pulled back with the strangest expression, some cross between entertained and thrown for a loop entirely. "What do you mean you don't _know_?"

"Well, Val—" Flash made a face. "I mean, uh..."

Right, he needed to take back control of this situation before he embarrassed himself any further, or accidentally divulged what kind of toys his ex used on him.

He kissed Eddie again, rather than answer. Time to bust out his finely honed skills—he prided himself in being an _excellent_ kisser, and very good with his mouth and hands. Eddie may have been older, but he seemed... inexperienced, to put it gently. And if the way he grunted and pressed his fingers into the back of Flash's skull were any indication, he liked what Flash had to offer _very_ much.

Flash let his hands wander—but not too far, mostly feeling up Eddie's sides. Kissed down to his throat. This was familiar territory, he knew what to do with this. Slid his hands up under the edge of Eddie's shirt—it dissolved at his fingertips and trailed up his forearms, and he couldn't help but laugh a little bit.  "Hey, buddy."

Eddie made a noise somewhere between distaste and amusement, even as the symbiote caressed Flash's arms.

"What?" Flash ran his palms up Eddie's broad chest, admiring both his own arms all covered in shiny black, and Eddie's well-defined muscles. "'Buddy' not sexy enough for you two?"

That got a laugh out of him, low and rumbly. "Absolutely not."

"Hmmm..." Flash pushed on him a little, until he took a step back. "What would you prefer, _Edward_?" He gave Eddie a teasing grin.

Eddie let himself be steered to the bed, until the backs of his knees hit the mattress and he sat—he grabbed Flash by the front of his shirt and pulled him down. "I don't know... _Eugene_."

Okay, he'd walked himself right into that one.

"My name is Flash."

Eddie frowned slightly, but he nodded. "Flash."

Flash smiled at him, a little tight but not un-genuine. "Thank you."

Eddie tugged on Flash's shirt again, to get him closer. Nipped at his neck, with the symbiote curling out from his arms. Flash let himself lose his balance, let Eddie drag him down on top of him—Flash propped himself up with his hands in the sheets, on either side of Eddie's torso. Eddie looked up at him... almost tenderly, and ran his hand up one of Flash's arms. He slipped a couple of fingers under the edge of Flash's sleeve, and something about that completely innocent gesture sent butterflies through Flash's stomach.

"Shit..." Flash rolled off of Eddie and hiked his shirt up out of his pants, completely inelegant in the way he squirmed out of it, really jealous of the fact that Eddie's clothes could just disintegrate—

But then he was shirtless, and Eddie settled on top of him, heavy and warm, and... well.

This was new. Eddie was big and broad and, to put it bluntly, hairier than a fucking bear, and that was unfamiliar to Flash. But not unpleasant. He just had to remind himself that he did not, in fact, have to pretend he wasn't into this. This was _good_.

It was.

But he couldn't stop himself from breathing a little too fast, and not in the sexy way.

Eddie had his mouth on Flash's throat and a palm on his ass and that was very good, and he could probably feel Flash's pulse on his _tongue_ and that was... a thought. Maybe Flash moaned a little bit. Just a little.

But then Eddie got his hand down between Flash's thighs—

"Stop, stop." Flash pushed at Eddie with a slight gasp to his words.

Eddie frowned, but he held his hands away from Flash, settling back on his haunches.

Flash let out a frustrated huff and screwed his eyes shut for a moment. "Sorry."

He jammed the heels of his palms into his eyes until he saw stars. He pushed his hands back through his hair, all short and wild. Opened his eyes. Stared up at the ceiling as his heartbeat steadied.

"Are you... alright?"

Flash grimaced. "Yeah, I'm just..." He sighed. "I'm just nervous."

Eddie was quiet for a moment but then he laid himself down beside Flash and murmured, "We don't have to do anything, if you don't want to."

He _did_ want to, was the thing.

But this was like... being in high school again, except infinitely more appealing than a blowjob in the back of a car and completely terrifying because of it.

"You're a lot more considerate than I expected." Flash turned his head to look at Eddie, and got an eyeroll in response.

He sat up, and began the process of taking off his legs. These particular prostheses were a step up (heh) from the last ones, but still not entirely comfortable after too long, and he'd been wearing them the whole damn day, and... if Eddie suddenly decided to murder him or something, well, he had Anti-Venom. So he unzipped the legs on his pants—specially tailored—and got his legs off, and got the sleeves off too, and pretended like he couldn't feel Eddie watching him the whole time.

And you know what? For good measure, once he set his legs aside, he flopped onto his back and wiggled out of his pants entirely. Tossed them over the side of the bed. To Hell with pants.

With that done, he climbed onto Eddie—he liked being underneath him but being on top let him feel a little more in control of the situation and he needed that right now. Luckily, Eddie seemed willing to let Flash set the pace, and this time he kept his hands above the belt—even though, at this point, the belt was pretty non-existent for the both of them.

A little strip of elastic, a little bit of symbiote...

"Hey, Eddie?" Flash spoke through their kiss—again, surprisingly gentle on Eddie's part.

"Hm?"

"Do you really think I'm pretty?"

Eddie drew back to get a good look at Flash, discerning and a little playful. He ran a hand, clawed and coated in black, through Flash's hair, tilted his head back slightly. The symbiote inched out across his face, tender and delicate, and they grinned with half a mouthful of fangs. " ** _Yes, Flash._** "

As their hand drifted down from his hair to his cheek Flash leaned into their touch, letting his eyes close.

" ** _You're beautiful._** "

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know, _boooo no smut_.  
> I don't generally write smut.  
> I've decided that they don't have sex at all that night, or the next morning. they cuddle though. 
> 
>  
> 
> flash being good with his mouth and hands 100% came from something kitausuret said, and actually, now that I think about it, so did the "flash likes being called pretty" thing. though I'd like to think that one was an inevitability considering the way I have begun to approach flash's relationship with his identity and body...
> 
> speaking of identity, I considered "Don't call me that," or even just, "That's not my name" instead of "My name is Flash," but I like the way the final version fits better, I think, as a very firm but still positive statement and also because in my little headcanon I imagine Flash eventually changes his name from Eugene to Flash legally.  
> Obviously I wrote about that [in my post-Space Knight AU](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17437904/chapters/41087933) but it holds for pretty much any AU I'm working with that's set after Space Knight but before ASM #800 and tbh I kind of apply it to my read of canon as well. Though I don't know if he would have changed it yet in this fic, specifically.  
> So anyway. Yeah. That's why I picked that phrase.
> 
> also i think flash started to accept liking dudes around space knight. so in this he's like, pretty strongly aware of it; he just... hasn't done anything about it..... maybe some flirting here and there but that's it.
> 
>  
> 
> cut to the next morning:  
> F: "can I get your phone number?"  
> E: "we don't own a phone."  
> F: *stares directly into the camera*


End file.
